Tag: Joseph

139

5.11.8.
Joseph is not the name of Jesus’ father. Mark 6:1ff does not mention the name of Jesus’ father, only that

Ephesus, row of columns
Ephesus, row of columns

of his mother Mary. The father’s name only appears in the later birth legends in Matt. 1f and Luke 1f.

5.11.9.
Where does the name Joseph for Jesus’ father come from? Father figures are often called Joseph in the New Testament: in addition to Jesus’ father, we can mention Joseph of Arimathea (Matt 27:57) and Joseph of Cyprus, called Barnabas, an early Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 4:36).

Joseph Barsabbas, the Apostles’ chosen candidate as the 12th Apostle to take Judas’ place, may also belong to this group (Acts 1:22).

5.11.10.
Josephus, who describes Jesus as a Samaritan pseudo-Messiah, mocks the name of Jesus’ father when he claims: if things are going well for the Jews, the Samaritans call themselves sons of Joseph; if not, they say they are descended from foreigners: Ant. 9.14.3.

137

V  11   Mary and Joseph

5.11.1.
The dominant master narrative about Jesus’ parents states

Ephesus, Roman foot soldier
Ephesus, Roman foot soldier

that Mary, a housewife, and Joseph, a building worker, were Jesus’ biological parents.

5.11.2.
The new basic narrative about Jesus’ parents states:
Mary was not the name of Jesus’ mother. His mother’s name, like her virginity, are part of the Christian legend about the Messiah’s origin.

5.11.3.
Mary was not the name of the women called Mary in the New Testament; at most it was their nickname.

5.11.4.
Mary was a well-known Jewish alchemist in classical times.

Literature: Patai, Raphael: The Jewish Alchemists. A History and Source Book, Princeton, New Jersey 1994, p. 60-91; Schütt, Hans-Werner: Auf der Suche nach dem Stein der Weisen. Die Geschichte der Alchemie, Munich 2000, p. 117-126,